Propelling mechanism



April 14, 1931. J. M. HANDLEY PROPELLING MECHANTSM Filed Jan. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet @ma M m a ga. o wf wf y W April 14, 1931- J. M. HANDLEY 1,800,524

PROPELLING MECHNISM Filed Jan. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENYO 35 tion, an

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES JOSEPH M. HANDLEY, OF ORRICK, MISSOURI PROPELLING MECHANISM `Application filed January 2, 1930. Serial No. 418,078.

This invention relates to im rovements in propelling mechanism and' W ile designed primarily for installation upon aeroplanes and other aircrafts, ma be installed upon 6 submarines, and the lprimary object of the invention is to provide, in an aeroplane embodying two slde propellers, novel means whereby these propellers may be tiltably adjusted soas to steer the aeroplane in an upward or downward direction, and at any desired angle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a common driving means for both of the side propellers, and a novel means for supporting the shafts of the propellers and the drive shafts from which the propeller shafts are driven, so as to avoid vibration landinsure of smooth and even rotation of the propellers. v

This invention 'also consists in certa-in other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described,4 illustratedin the accompanying drawings and w specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughouty the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a view partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section, illustrating the operatin ard control means of the invent e trolled thereby.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the fore-part of an aeroplane, a part being broken away, ,th`e view illustrating one of the 4 side propellers, and the manner in which these propellers may be adjusted.

Figure 3 is a detail horizontal sectional .view illustrating the`v manner iii-which the pro eller shafts are mounted as also `the ,45 sha t by which they are driven, and the manner in'which the `bearings of these shafts are constructed fand braced.

g Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view qn the line 4 4 on Figure 3 lookin 5 injtli direction indicated by the arrows, an

propellers driven and con-- illustrating the bearing for the inner end of each propeller driven shaft.

Figure 5 is a similar view on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a similar view on the line 55 6 6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a view in side elevation of the gear casing in which the gearing for driving the propellers is housed.

Figure 8 is a detail view in rear elevation 0 of the structure shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view through the car casing and illustrating a somewhat di erent arrangement of gears from that shown in Figure3.

Figure 10 is a plan view of a submarine equipped with the invention.`

In the drawingsand referringmore particularly to the embodiment of the invention in an aeroplane or other aircraft, the body of the plane is indicated by the numeral 1 and the usual front propeller by the numeral 2, this propeller being driven by a suitable multi-cylinder engine (not shown) the crank shaft of the engine being indicated by the numeral 3.

Side planes, which, with their driving and control means, constitute the present invention, are indicated by the numeral. 4 and these planes are driven from the crank shaft 30 5 of another multi-cylinder engine (not shown) by means which will presently be described. Openings 6 are provi'ddin the opposite sides of the fore-part of the aeropane body 1 and mounted within each of 85 these openings is a bearing, indicated in general by the numeralv'?. This bearing is preferably of tlie customary type embodying a base section indicated by the numeral 8, and a cap section indicated by the numeral 9, which latter section is secured to the base section by a boltv 10. A sleeve 11 is journalled at one end in each bearing 7, and each sleeve 1s provided with an enlar ed hollow cylindrical end 12 at its inner en and with a collar 13 which is spaced with respect to the inner end of the enlargement l2 and the inner end of the enlargement and the said collar abut the opposite sides of the respective bearing 7 so as to prevent longitudinal displacement of the sleeve. Each end of the crank shaft 5 is provided with to receive this end of the shaft 16, and bolts 18 are secured through the heads 14 and 15, and thus serve to connect the crank shaft 5 and shaft 16, the head 15 being preferably provided with a hub 19 and a pin 20 being fitted through alined openings in the hub nd in the squared portion 17 of the shaft The enlargement 12 of the sleeve 11 is iiiteriorly threaded as indicated by the numeral 21 and a bushinr 22 is threaded to fit within this end of the enlargement and serves to retain in place, within the enlargement, a roller bearing, race, which is indicated by the numeral 23.

The sleeveA 11 is interiorly of a diameter to receive the shaft 16 and in order that the A sleeve may be supported for rotative adjustment to provide for tilting of the propel- 1ers, by a means which vwill presently be described, the outer end of the sleeve is mounted in a bearing, which is indicated by the numeral 24 and which includes a section 25 mounted upon the outer end of a bracket arm 26, which is provided with a right angularly turned inner end 27 secured by means of bolts 28 to the respective side of the body of the aeroplane. The? bracket arm 26 constitutes the horizontal arm of a substantiall V-shaped bracket, the other arm of whic is indicated by the numeral 29 and extends downwardly and inwardly at an acute angle from the arm 26, and is se- .cured by an attaching portion 30 to the body of the aeroplane near the lower side thereof. The bracket frame comprisin the members 26 and 29 serves to brace t e respective sleeve 11 when the respective propellers 4 are adjusted to the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Fiure 2 of the drawings and, in order to race the outer bearing 24 against rearward displacement, when the propellers are in a vertical position such as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a brace bar or strut 31 is secured at its forward end as at 32 to the rear side of the.

bearing 24 and extends rearwardly and inwardly, and is secured at its rear end as at 33 to the respective side of the body of the aeroplane.

Mounted'in each bearing 24 is the outer end of the respective sleeve 11 and a collar 34 is formed upon this end of the sleeve and constitutes an abutment to engage the inner side of the bearing 24, and this end of each sleeve is integral with one section 35 of a gear casing which is indicated bythe numeral 36 and comprises also an outer section 37 which isseparably connected with the section 35 by the provision of flanges 38 upon the sections and the passage of bolts 39 through these flanges. Thel section 35 of the gear casing 36 is provided with a cylindrical portion located centrally of the outer side of said section, and this portion is indicated by the numeral 40 and within the same and surrounding the outer end of the shaft 16 is a conical roller bearing race 41. A bevel gear 42 is fixed upon the outer end of each shaft 16 and meshes with a bevel ear 43 which is ke ed upon the inner end of3 a shaft 44 journalled in bearing ortions formed in the two sections 35 an 37 of the casing 36, at the forward side of said casing. A conical roller bearing race 45 is arranged within the forward side of the gear casing 36, and in front of the bevel gear43 soas to provide against any displacement of the said gear 43 with res ect to the gear 42. The rear end of the s aft is mounted in a bearing socket 46 formed by the meeting sides of the casing 36 at the rear thereof, and a conical roller vbearing race 47 surrounds this end of the shaft andwminimizes the thrust imposed upon the shaft by rotation of the propellers 4.

In order that the propellers may be tiltably ad'usted so as to provide for 'straight forwar flight of the aeroplane or upward or .downward flight atfany desired angle, means is provided which will now `be described. The means referred to comprises a U-shaped frame indicated in general by the numeral 48 and including side members 49 and 50 and a connecting member 51, this latter member being rovided with a segmental worm gear indicated by the numeral 52. The ends of the side members49 'and 50 are fitted and secured 'to the sleeve 11 at the enlarged inner ends 12 thereof and at this point it will be understood that inasmuch as the gear casing 36 for the driving gears of each propeller is integral with the respective sleeve 26, swinging of the frame 48 will result in rotative adjustment of the sleeves and tilting of .the propellers. In

order that such swinging movement of the. frame may beefected, a steering post 53 willv iis y' shown in Figure 2 or any position between this position and the dotted line position shown in Figure 2.

In mounting the propellers 4, each shaft 44 is provided with key-ways 55 at its forward end and the propeller hub 56 is fitted onto this end of the respective shaft, and keys 57 are fitted into the key-ways and serve to connect the hub with the shaft, a head 58 being fitted onto the outer end of each shaft and connected with a head 59, which is formed upon the inner end of the hub by bolts 60, a nut 61 being fitted onto the extreme outer end of the shaft 44, which end is threaded, and a cotter pin 62 is fitted through this end of the shaft after the bolt has been tightened.

Figure 9 of the drawing illustrates a modification of the earing for transmitting motion from the safts 16 to the shafts 44 and in this ligure, the parts which correspond to the parts shown in Figure 3 are indicated by corresponding reference numerals primed, and in this modified form, as will be observed by reference to Figure 9, the conical roller bearing races 45 and 47 may be dispensed with inasmuch as the gear 43 which corresponds to the gear 43 is in mesh with the gear 42', corresponding to the gear 42, at the rear side of the latter ear and therefore the forward pull exerte by the propeller serves to firmly hold the gear 43 in mesh with the gear 42.

Figure 10 of the drawing illustrates the embodiment of the invention in a submarine, the body of which is indicated by the numeral 64 and side propellers indicated by the numeral 65 are arranged at opposite sides of the said body 64 near the front and rear ends thereof, and also intermediate the ends of the body and are driven in the same manner and controlled in the same manner, and by the same means as that previously described.

The invention contemplates the adaptation of the rinciples thereof in the construction o aeroplanes, zeppelins, and marine craft.

What I claim is In a propelling mechanism of the class described, the combination with the bod to be propelled, of a motor rotated crank sliaft mounted transversely in the body, tubular housings mounted for rotative adjustment at opposite sides of the body and in axial alinement with the crank shaft, a gear case at the outer end of each housing and adjustable therewith, a shaft mounted in each housing and connected with the respective end of the crank shaft for rotation therewith, a propeller shaft mounted in each gear case, operative gear means connecting at each side of the gear system the last mentioned shafts, a propeller upon each of the propeller shafts, a frame within the thereon, and the propellers and thereby vary.

the angular positions of the propellers.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

JOSEPH M. HANDLEY. 

